Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah meeting at his Ramallah office with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III. (WAFA photo/Maan Khalifa) 

RAMALLAH, October 17, 2017 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah Tuesday discussed claims of church property sales with Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III at his office in Ramallah.

During the meeting, Hamdallah stressed the importance of Islamic and Christian endowment (Waqf ) in East Jerusalem and across the occupied Palestinian territories.

He also highlighted the significant efforts to safeguard property owned by the churches and Muslim Waqf Department and fend off attempts to fraudulent sale or lease property to Israeli settler groups.

The premier slammed all Israeli measures and positions aimed to alter the Palestinian character of Jerusalem and to empty the holy city from its indigenous Muslim and Christian inhabitants as illegal and unilateral.

He reiterated President Mahmoud Abbas’ commitment to the March 2013 agreement he had signed with King Abdullah II of Jordan to confirm Jordan’s role as custodian of Jerusalem holy sites, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

He stressed the need to safeguard the legal and historical status quo in the holy city and reiterated Abbas’ refusal of all Israeli unilateral practices to alter the Palestinian character of the city.

On his turn, Theophilos thanked Hamdallah for the Palestinian Authority’s role in terms of  defending the Islamic and Christian holy sites and the special status of Jerusalem.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Adnan Husseini, Minister of Tourism and Antiques Roula Maay‘a, and Head of the Presidential Committee on Churches’ Affairs Ziad al-Bandak.

Also in attendance of the meeting were member of the Presidential Committee on Churches’ Affairs Hanna Amira, member of Fatah Revolutionary Council Hanna Issa and Mayor of Beit Sahour Hani al-Hayek.

Palestinian Orthodox Christians have accused the church primate of selling and leasing off landmark church property to Israeli developers and settler groups in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Nazareth among other locations, betraying the church’s responsibility to protect Palestinian lands that were handed under its care during the Ottoman period.

K.F./M.K.